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New Mercedes E-Class nearly exposed, may be Maybach

The all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is marching closer and closer to production, with a new round of spy photos giving us our best look yet at the S-Class-inspired looks of the German brand's executive luxury car. There really is very little camouflage this time around – what's there looks more like the kind of plastic wrapping you'd see on a freshly imported vehicle at the port. In front, we can see the new E will wear similar LED accents to the S- and C-Class. The E-Class' big and little brothers also inspired the tail of the new model, where we can see slightly disguised, vertically oriented LED taillights. Prominent, enclosed exhausts are very similar to what we saw in our spy shots of the Mercedes-Maybach E-Class. Aside from the exhausts, this particular car also wears the same blingy wheels as the range-topping tester we spied last August. The thick-rimmed, multi-spoke design isn't the only giveaway to this car's luxurious intentions, though. Our last Maybach sighting showed a car completely covered in camo, making it difficult to tell just how large the rear doors are relative to the car we're seeing today. Instead of the doors, though, we suggest you look at the windows. Like the August spy photos, this prototype features tinted rear glass, which could perhaps indicate that we're looking at yet another example the second Mercedes-Maybach model. So is this yet another Maybach E-Class? We're leaning towards yes. The size of the back doors – and the rear quarter window, in particular – is close enough to what we saw last month, and the presence of tinted glass, the same exhausts, and the same wheels can't be discounted either.

2017 Mercedes GLS brings Benz's flagship SUV up to date

Mercedes-Benz is continuing the revision of its entire crossover lineup with the introduction of the new GLS. A facelifted version of the existing GL-Class, the new GLS aims to serve as the flagship of the German automaker's SUV lineup in the same way that the S-Class does for its sedans, coupes, and convertibles. As an update (rather than a completely new model), the new GLS is physically mostly the same as the GL it replaces, but packs a comprehensive series of revisions to bring it up to date. Those revisions can be seen on the outside, with revised styling front and rear. However the real changes have been made underneath the skin. The seven-passenger interior features a new three-spoke steering wheel, instrument panel with media display, center console with touchpad control, ambient lighting, and even an available air ionization system. The interior trim has been redone as well, with available Designo Exclusive and AMG Line packages to individualize it further. The new GLS will be offered Stateside in four engine specs. The base model is the GLS450, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Step up to the GLS550 and you get 455 hp (20 more than before) and 516 lb-ft of torque. There's a six-cylinder diesel option in the GLS350d, good for 255 hp and 455 lb-ft. And the performance flagship, of course, is the new Mercedes-AMG GLS63, with 577 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque. The standard versions come with 4Matic all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission with additional settings. The AMG version gets a rearward-biased traction system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox instead. The standard models ride on an improved air suspension with enhanced damping, but the GLS63 adds a Sport+ instead of Off-Road setting on the Dynamic Select controller. There's a low-range gearbox and locking center diff available as well for those who plan to go off-road. Mercedes has fitted the GLS with all its latest electronic systems, including Collision Prevention Assist Plus, Crosswind Assist with Attention Assist, Brake Assist BAS, Pre-Safe braking, and more. The optional Driver Assistance package adds Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, pedestrian detection, cross-traffic assist, active blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and more. There's an optional intelligent LED lighting system and heated adaptive windshield wipers as well.

'The best Lewis' Hamilton faces resurgent Ferrari in F1

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton has raised his game but whether the Mercedes driver can deny Ferrari a second successive win of the season in China this weekend remains to be seen. On paper, the triple world champion is still the man to beat -- the most successful driver by far in Shanghai with four wins to date. "Lewis is the best Lewis that I've seen in the last four years, both on and off the track," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after the Briton started on pole and finished second to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the Australian season-opener. "He has become a pillar of this team and he proved that in Melbourne." But Vettel is leading the championship, the first time a non-Mercedes driver has done that since he took his fourth title with Red Bull in 2013, and once-dominant Mercedes have a fight on their hands. Mercedes, who have taken both the drivers and constructors' titles for the last three years, have won four of the last five races in China. As Melbourne showed, however, past form may count for little in a season of sweeping rule change. "If you think you are going to cruise to victory in the future, based on a track record of success, you'll be proven wrong very quickly," said Wolff. "Australia was a weekend full of lessons, now we go to China ready and excited for another battle." Ferrari have not started a season with consecutive wins since 2004 at the peak of the Michael Schumacher era, the Italian team taking 15 victories from 18 races that season. Vettel's win in Australia ended a victory drought for Ferrari stretching back to September 2015, and drew rare praise from company chairman Sergio Marchionne, but they must now prove they can be genuine contenders. "You really have to go step by step," said Vettel. "It's good to know that we have a great car but it's just the beginning: new regulations, new generations of cars so there will be a lot of progress." The cars this year are longer and wider, sporting fatter tires and more swept-back bodywork as part of a rules shake-up aimed at making them faster, more spectacular to watch and harder to drive. But overtaking has also become more difficult, with Australia raising concern about the lack of real moves. The long straights and wide sweeps of the Shanghai circuit saw 128 passes last year, more than at any other track, and should provide a more definitive verdict.